Silly, Little Bear
by St0pSmackinMe07
Summary: Edward doubts his worth, and Bella tries a silly method to cheer him up. Pure fluff. Oneshot.


**A/N**: I am pretty sure the timeline for this fic doesn't line up right with canon, so I guess you could say its kinda AU then? Oh, well. Other than that, in my mind it's set between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Enjoy the silly little pile of fluff!

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Silly, Little Bear

The leaves outside were changing rapidly. The beautiful colors were a stark contrast to the constant dreary weather in Forks, but the out of the ordinary pop of color to the surroundings, made things more interesting. The end of October was nearing and while I wasn't really one to celebrate Halloween, Alice wanted to have a little get together regardless of her family's feelings towards the silly Americanized holiday.

Edward was away for the weekend, hunting with his brothers, so I was left to my own defenses while I waited for him to come home. Alice had informed me that the boys would be back by four in the evening Saturday night. Glancing at the clock, I sighed. The day was going frustratingly slow. It was only ten in the morning. It would be hours until Edward came home.

In an attempt to distract myself from dwelling on the slowly passing minutes, I leapt up from the couch and bounded up the stairs. I went up into the attic to the far corner of the room where various boxes were stacked up against the wall. I found the box labeled "Halloween". It was on the bottom of the pile. The box hadn't been opened in years, but there were some old Halloween things from when I was a kid. I thought that I might be able to find something in there to put together for a Halloween costume.

I rummaged through the box. It was filled with strange old plastic masks and old clothes. I saw a flash of bright orange fabric and pulled out a black and orange costume with glittery stars and moons on it with frayed edges. It was the witch costume I had worn when I was seven years old. Holding it up to me, I laughed as I thought it was very possible I might still be able to wear the costume; it would probably just be a bit shorter than it was when I was seven. I idly wondered if Edward would like it… I set it aside as an option.

As I dug deeper in I felt something fuzzy brush against my hand. I saw a blob of black and bright green fabric. I grabbed and yanked it from the bottom of the box. I pulled out a hat with lime green interior lining. The hat was soft and fuzzy and as I inspected it, I noticed it had… ears. I laughed when I realized that it was a hat made to look like it had bear ears. I thought of the irony behind a hat like this since it was quite possible my boyfriend was hunting the very same creature at the moment.

In that exact instant, I got a text from Alice that read, _Keep it out._

I looked in bewilderment at the text and at the hat in my hand. What was that all about? But I shrugged and ran downstairs, knowing not to doubt Alice.

The rest of the day went by torturously slow. I spent the remainder of the day cleaning every surface of the kitchen, vacuuming the living room, reorganizing my CD and book collection, and doing mine and Charlie's laundry.

My father knew by now not to bother me during my frantic attempt to distract myself from Edward's absence; he just let me carry on as he eyed me warily, but smiled gratefully at me as I cleaned his things as well as the rest of the house.

Alice must have predicted my distress, and came over at around three in the afternoon just as I was contemplating on cleaning the bathroom. I could practically hear my father's sigh of relief at seeing my future sister-in-law. "Thank God you're here," I heard my dad say to Alice as he met her at the door. "Go on up," he said.

Alice laughed her bell-like laughter and said, "Thanks, Charlie."

Just as I poked my head out the bathroom doorway, Alice grabbed my arm and tugged me along down the hallway. "Hello to you too, Alice," I said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"I asked. Edward wouldn't be home for another few hours and he usually came over directly from his trip, not send Alice to fetch me.

"I'm saving you from yourself," she replied. Alice pulled me into my bedroom and in a flash she had set out a new outfit for me. I looked at her confused. "Get changed before we leave. You smell like cleaning supplies." She looked at me pointedly, before skipping out of the room. I changed into the outfit she had arranged for me, a pair of dark jeans and blue shirt that fit perfectly. Looking at the outfit, I wondered where they had come from; I hadn't remembered seeing them before. I decided not to dwell on that thought, finding it was better _not_ to know—especially when it came to Alice and clothes.

Alice then popped her head around the door. She grabbed my purse from the floor and thrust it into my hands before she pulled me along downstairs. As we were about to step out the door, Alice stopped and turned to me.

"Do you have the hat?" she asked.

I was taken by surprise, momentarily forgetting about it. "Um… no?" I said lamely, it coming out as more of a question.

"Well, bring it along," she replied without explanation.

"Why?" I asked curiously. It seemed rather silly to me.

Alice gave me a sad smile and simply said, "Edward's going to need some cheering up."

I found the hat where I had left it in the living room and stuffed it into my bag. I waved a quick good bye to my father and followed Alice out the door. "Why, Alice? Why will Edward need cheering up?" I demanded.

Alice gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's nothing really. Edward's just being his normal dramatic self," Alice said with a flippant wave of her hand.

When we pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see everyone's cars present. Alice predicted my confusion and said, "They decided to come home early."

Something must have happened while they were hunting because they rarely came home early. My mind was racing with different possibilities that could cause the Cullen men to come home. Alice parked the car, and as soon as I finished unbuckling, my door was being opened and I was being pulled in a familiar pair of strong, cold arms. He seemed tense and frantic as he embraced me, but Edward seemed to relax as he kissed the top of my head and murmured softly into my hair, "I missed you."

I hugged him tightly, breathing in his wonderful scent. "I missed you too," I said, my words muffled against his chest. I looked up at him and saw his golden eyes clouded with sadness and another kind of emotion I couldn't pin-point. I stood up on my tip-toes to kiss his cheek, but Edward threaded his fingers into my hair and leaned down, kissing me fully on the lips. It was a soft, slow, sweet kiss, but there was a kind of desperation in the way his lips moved against mine.

We parted and Edward gave me a small smile as he looked down at me; the smile didn't quite reach his eyes though. There was still something troubled wading in them. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me inside. When we went inside, it appeared that everyone had already dispersed to their spouse. Edward led me to the couch and we sat down. We were quiet for a moment, as I watched him with concern. Edward broke the silence when he said, "Do you want to watch a movie?" He didn't look at me as he said the question, and his voice was void of any emotion. It was as if he was banking on a movie to distract me from whatever what was going on with him.

I sighed heavily. "No, Edward, I don't," I replied. He looked over at me finally, but his face was still blank. I reached up and touched my hand to his cheek. "What's wrong? What's bothering you so much?" I said, implicitly pleading with him to talk to me. That was the promise that we had made with each other—that we would _talk _to each other about anything and everything, no matter what, so as not to repeat our dreadful past.

Edward heaved a weary sigh and shook his head as he ran a hand over his face. "It's nothing Bella," he said softly. His voice told me otherwise; it cracked slightly with emotion.

I took his hand in mine and gripped it as tightly as I could. "It's not _nothing_, Edward. I know you better than that. You wouldn't be acting this way if it was nothing… Please talk to me," I said.

Edward looked at me sadly. He then moved for the first time since we had sat down. He curled himself around me, holding onto me tightly but gently. He nuzzled his face into my neck and sighed; it was a sad sound. I wrapped my arms around him too, holding him as I rubbed soothing circles on his back. "We ran into Jacob on the way back from hunting," he murmured softly into my hair and I froze. I wasn't expecting that. I hadn't seen Emmet or Jasper, so I prayed that no one was hurt—and in the back of my mind I hoped Jacob was okay as well. Edward sensed my tension and lifted his head to kiss me on the forehead. "Don't worry, love. Everyone's fine. Nothing happened," he reassured. I narrowed my eyes at him. He had to have done _something_ to put Edward into this funk. "Nothing that would cause anyone to get hurt, anyway," he quickly clarified.

Edward grimaced before he said, "He told me that I didn't deserve you, and that all I was capable of was hurting you. He said that if I truly cared about you, I would leave… for good."

My heart clenched in pain, before I was overcome with fury. "That—that son of a…" I said through clenched teeth. At that moment, all I wanted to do was track him down and beat him to a bloody pulp, even if I knew that was physically impossible. For a brief moment, I saw Edward's eyes shine with amusement, before they returned to their previously pained state.

"Don't tell me you actually agree with him," I said. He didn't say anything, but he averted his eyes from mine. I placed both of my hands on Edward's face, and forced him to look back at me. "Edward, please don't listen to a word he says. He's wrong."

"But you don't deserve me," Edward said. I felt my heart crack slightly at his words. "You deserve someone much better than me," he added. My heart ached for him, but with it grew determination to make him see that he was wrong.

I gripped Edward's shoulders and pulled him back so he would look at me. "Edward Cullen, don't you dare start this self-deprecating crap again," I said severely. I placed my hands on either side of his face, gazing into his golden eyes. "You _deserve_ happiness. You _deserve _to be loved. And no idiot werewolf should make you think otherwise. Got it?"

The corner of Edward's lips twitched, but the pain and sorrow was still the most prevalent emotion on his face. He didn't say anything, but nodded his head. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and rested my forehead against his, gazing into his eyes, trying to convey my love for him with my own. I felt actually telling him that, rather than having him assume it would be a much better way for him to be reassured of my feelings.

"I love you," I said. "More than anything and absolutely _nothing_ is going to make me think otherwise," I said firmly. "I wouldn't be getting married to you if I _didn't_ love you." I gave him a small smile fiddling with the engagement ring on my finger as emphasis. "I don't want anyone else but you."

Edward smiled softly at me as he hugged me close. "Thank you, Bella." He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. He ran the backs of his fingers across my cheek, and I felt warmth spread wherever he touched. His eyes shined faintly at the sight of my blush. "I love you, Bella. More than anything," he said softly. And I knew he truly meant it, but I could still see the pain and sorrow simmering beneath the surface.

Edward sat back on the couch and pulled me to his side as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. The tension was still etched into his face and I could tell his mind was still turning over Jacob's words. I needed to get him to stop thinking about it… I needed a distraction. And that's when I remembered the hat and Alice's words: _"Edward's going to need some cheering up."_

I moved to get up but I was encased in the steel cage of Edward's arms. I could tell he didn't want to let me go. "I'll be right back," I told him simply. Edward looked at me curiously; I could tell he was waiting for further explanation, but I didn't elaborate. I wanted this to be a surprise. After a moment of hesitation, Edward nodded his head and released me.

I got up from the couch and scurried out of the room. I had left my purse in the foyer with my jacket. I found it where I had left it last, on the chair by the front door. I rummaged through it quickly before I finally found it. I grinned to myself as I looked at it. I wouldn't be sacrificing my dignity if I didn't truly love the man in the other room and if I didn't believe this would cheer him up. I cast a quick glance over each shoulder, making sure Edward wasn't lurking around any corners. I took the hat and stashed it behind my back. When I returned to the living room, Edward's brow was furrowed in confusion. His eyes flickered suspiciously to my arms held behind my back. I sat down on the couch beside him, sitting on my knees, still hiding the hat from him. I smiled mischievously at him.

"Want to play a game?" I asked innocently.

Edward looked at me even more confused. "A game?" he repeated, his perfect eyebrow arched in question.

I nodded my head. "Let's play bear," I said

"What?" Edward said, dumbstruck, looking at me like I had grown a second head.

Without saying another word, I pulled the hat from behind my back and tugged it onto my head, before lunging at Edward, hopping into his lap. Edward's hands immediately went to my waist to keep me from falling—a reflex reaction more than anything. He looked at me with wide, surprised eyes. "What…?" he began, but his voice faltered and he looked at me, his jaw flapping for a moment. For the first time, Edward seemed to be at a complete loss for words. Finally the amusement seemed to ebb its way onto his face, replacing the confusion. A small smile slowly spread across his face before he let out a small laugh.

"Rawr! I'm a bear! Imma eat you!" I said in a playfully deep voice, as I formed my hands into little claws and pawed at his chest while I chopped my teeth. I knew I was being silly, but that was the point—to make Edward laugh a little, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when he did.

Edward's laugh turned into a chuckle. His chuckle turned into a hearty laugh that resonated deep within his chest, before Edward dissolved into a fit of laughter. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him resting his head on my shoulder. I could feel his body shaking with laughter beneath me, and it made me laugh a little. "Oh you are, are you?" he asked me between chuckles as he looked at me through his lashes and quirked an a eyebrow.

I nodded my head before I leaned in and made little nomming noises against his neck. "I'm a scary bear," I growled playfully against his skin.

I felt Edward's neck vibrate with his laughter. "You sure are," he laughed.

I lifted my head to look at him and he looked back at me with sheer love and adoration in his eyes; not a single trace of his sadness was left in them. He reached up and tucked a few stray strands of hair into the hat before he let his hand stray down to the tie-string on the hat, twirling it between his fingers. Not a word said, but I could tell that with nothing more than a look we were able to say to each other, "I love you and nothing will change that. Everything will be okay."

The moment was quickly shattered, however, when we heard laughter. Edward and I both seemed to jump at the sound, not realizing we had an audience watching us within our own little bubble. Our heads snapped in the direction of the sound, and I instantly blushed crimson. In the door of the living room, stood the entire family: Carlisle and Esme were smiling broadly in amusement at us; Alice stood giggling next to Jasper while he and Emmett laughed heartily at us. Even Rose seemed to crack a small smile—probably laughing at how ridiculous I looked.

I turned my face in the other direction and went to pull the hat from my head, but Edward's hand on my wrist stopped me. "Keep it on," he said smiling softly at me. "It's cute," he added with a small shrug. I bit my lip and blushed more at his comment.

Something in someone's thoughts must have caught Edward's attention, because his head suddenly snapped towards the rest of the family and narrowed his eyes—I suspected it was directed towards Emmett.

Edward then returned his gaze back to mine. A mischievous smile spread across his face. "I think I should take this bear up to the den to hibernate," he said.

I titled my head to the side as I looked at him, not understanding what he meant, and in one quick movement Edward stood and tossed me gently over his shoulder. I squeaked in surprise and laughed as he carried me past the rest of his family and up the stairs to his bedroom. I blushed some more as I heard their laughter from the floor below and Emmett's cat calls.

"Edward! Put me down!" I yelled through my laughter as I swatted at Edward's back.

I didn't realize that we had gotten to Edward's room so quickly, because suddenly I was being tossed onto Edward's bed. I bounced slightly with my landing, but Edward kept me from bouncing off the bed by leaping on top of me and holding me to his chest. I couldn't contain the giggles that bubbled out of my throat. It was so rare to see Edward in such a playful mood, but when he was, it was a sight to be seen and I loved every second of it. So I decided to play along.

I closed my eyes and curled up, pretending to be asleep. "Bella?" I heard Edward's voice say. There was a hint of confusion and amusement in his velvety voice. I didn't respond. "What are you doing?" he asked as he gently poked my side where he knew I was ticklish. I squirmed and squeaked as I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Go away," I said, weakly swatting at the air. "Its fall, I'm hibernating," grumbled lightheartedly.

Edward laughed. "Oh I see," he said and paused as if he were thinking. A moment later he said in a low voice, "Do you know what I do to hibernating bears?" Suddenly I felt his nose skimming across skin below my ear. He pressed his lips against the skin there and growled playfully. He mimicked the nomming noise I did to him as he moved his lips across my skin as light as a feather. It tickled a little and I giggled as I squirmed away. It surprised me because he rarely joked about what he was, or any of his hunting habits. It was a nice change though, to see him loosen up a bit about that; he knew I couldn't care less about what he was. It didn't change _who_ he was.

I opened my eyes and looked up at Edward. His eyes were molten butterscotch in color and he was looking at me with a blindly bright smile on his face. The happiness and playfulness was just radiating off him and I loved it. I reached up and played with the soft hair at the base of his neck. I gently tugged him down to me. He knew what I wanted and leaned down to kiss me. The kiss started out soft, gentle and loving but then increased in intensity. My fingers threaded through Edward's silky hair and tugged as he held me tighter to his body. He let out a soft sigh as he rolled over, pulling me into his side. I had to pull away to catch my breath. Edward opened his eyes—which had darkened ever so slightly—and looked up at me. He let out a few soft chuckles.

"I almost forgot you were still wearing that hat," he chuckled. I blushed and laughed. Edward sighed contentedly as he played with the pom pom ended draw strings of the hat. "Thank you, Bella," he said softly.

I furrowed my brow in confusion as I looked down at him. "For what?" I said.

"For being you," he said, but it came out as more of a sigh. He rolled me over slowly. I felt like I was laying on a cloud with an angel hovering over me. "For being your adorable, silly self," he said. "Thank you. I really needed this."

I smiled at him. I placed my hand on his cheek and lightly rubbed my nose against his. "Any time, Edward," I said with a smile.

He smiled in return and leaned down to kiss me once more. "I love you, my silly little bear" he breathed against my lips.

I laughed softly as I hugged him closer to me and replied, "And I love you my ferocious vampire."

A soft playful growl rumbled deep in his chest as he melded himself to me and we slipped away into our own little world where nothing could touch us—where we were just Edward and Bella and all that mattered was our love for each other.

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**A/N**: Thank you for reading! Reviews are definitely appreciated.


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